Preseason Video Interviews

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Last season, the Elmira College field hockey team opened at home for just the second time in the last 11 years. This season, the Soaring Eagles will play a busy home schedule with three consecutive games at the Murray Athletic Center to kick off the year and a program-record nine home contests on the docket for the fall campaign.

Playing strong at home has been a staple of the EC field hockey program. In 2017, the team earned two of its three wins at the MAC, including a stunning 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Empire 8 Conference rival, Nazareth, in the regular-season finale. Defensively, Elmira allowed significantly fewer goals per game on its grassy pitch (2.88) than it did in its nine road games (4.11).

The season-opening three-game homestand features one familiar opponent, the Lakers of Oswego State, who will travel to the MAC on Wednesday, September 5. The non-conference series against Owego has been contested annually since EC's inaugural season in 2000 and has been decided by two-goals-or-less on 15 occasions. The year begins, however, on August 31 by taking on King's (Pa.) for the first time since 2009, followed by the first-ever matchup between EC and Wooster on September 2. Facing unfamiliar teams such as the Monarchs and Fighting Scots will be a challenging task for the Soaring Eagles.

"We are very excited to start off our season at the Murray Athletic Center, as it has often provided a home-field advantage for us," Silva said. "Although playing two new teams will make it more challenging to anticipate the competition, it will be refreshing to have new opponents, and will allow us to truly start off this season on a blank slate."

Looking ahead, Elmira will host Sage, Brockport, and Stevens Institute of Technology in another three-game homestand from September 29 through October 6. That stretch is the beginning of a second half that concludes with six home games out of the final nine.

Several key players will return to the field this season, but the Class of 2018 left many prominent shoes to fill. The program's first four-time All-Empire 8 Conference honoree, Atu Machika '18, four-year starting defender Sarah McCaffrey '18, and double-digit point scorers Alison Mariano '18 and Katie Carroll '18 were among the seven to depart from the Southern Tier as part of the large graduating class in June.

With a roster compiled mostly of underclassmen this season, the freshmen and sophomores will be asked to make significant contributions from the get-go. This shouldn't come as much of a shock to the Soaring Eagles, as the rising sophomores and juniors saw substantial minutes on the field as underclassmen, too.

Forward
Elmira graduated over 57 percent of its scoring production from last season, but EC's leading scorer, Janie Kempf '21, is back for her sophomore year after garnering Empire 8 All-Conference Second Team honors in 2017. Kempf's 19 points as a freshman were tied for 10th on the program's single-season scoring list, and she was tied for seventh in the E8 with nine goals.

"As our only starter returning to the forward line, we are expecting Janie's experience and leadership to set the tone, especially on offensive drives," Silva said. "We are very excited for her to continue developing and grow her skill set throughout this season."

Kempf's classmate, Kelsie Aloi '21, and four-year veteran Matilda Kennedy-Butler '19 will both look to make strides after contributing a combined three points last season. Aloi, who saw time in 15 games as a rookie, was commended by the coaching staff for her improvements over the past year. In her third career start against Oswego State on September 13, the Moravia, New York, native netted her first goal. Kennedy-Butler has started 49 of her 50 appearances across her first three seasons donning the Purple and Gold. She also earned her first career point with an assist in 2017.

One of three newcomers on the team is forward Kaylee Gill '22. Gill was a three-sport student-athlete of Hancock High School in Hancock, New York, where she lettered in field hockey, basketball, and softball.

Midfield
EC's midfield unit will be led by returning starter Emily Selbert '20 and senior Diane LeRoy '19. Selbert was one of five players to start all 17 games a season ago and finished second among returning point-getters with seven (3g-1a). She scored once in a 6-3 non-conference win against Wells at home on October 10 and notched an assist on the game-winning goal against Nazareth in the finale. LeRoy has seen action in 32 games during the previous three seasons but will look to take on more of a leadership role in the locker room as one of just three seniors on the roster this fall.

"Diane's commitment to the team has been steadfast throughout her career at EC, and we expect that her development will allow her to contribute on the field in a variety of ways this year," Silva said. "She has grown a lot in the past three seasons, and we are excited for the potential she has during her senior campaign."

New to the midfield in 2018 will be Mae Dinh '19, who will be playing her first season of collegiate field hockey after spending the past three springs on the EC women's lacrosse team. The Clinton, New York, native did a little bit of everything as a full-time starter in the midfield with the women's lacrosse team as a junior and will look to translate her athleticism into a successful fall campaign.

Defense
Two starting defenders, both of whom are sophomores, will be the cornerstones of EC's defense this fall. In her first season, Liz Shephard '21 made starts in each of Elmira's 17 contests and was one of four Soaring Eagles to log over 1,100 minutes of playing time. Fellow Second-year defender Holly Karalus '21 saw time in 16 games in her debut season, which included nine starts. She was on the field for all 70 minutes in four different games, one being a narrow 2-1 victory over Brockport in mid-September. 

Joining the sophomore duo will be first-year back, Kristen Tull '22, who played prep field hockey at Kent Island High School just outside of her hometown in Stevensville, Maryland.

Goalkeeper
Experience in the cage is critical for any team looking to navigate a rigorous schedule successfully. Fortunately for the Soaring Eagles, junior goalie Tina O'Donnell '20 has flashed tremendous potential in her first two seasons. She'll be solely responsible for protecting the goal in 2018, after splitting time with Julie Hockenberger '18 last fall. 

As a sophomore, O'Donnell started seven of her nine appearances, amassing a total of 492:18 minutes. She paced EC's goaltending tandem and was sixth in the E8 with a .764 save percentage, to go along with a 3.55 goals-against average and 81 saves. In her first start on September 2 against Scranton, the Kutztown, Pennsylvania, made a whopping 22 saves, one of three games with double-digit stops. 

"Tina has grown throughout the last two seasons, and is viewed by her teammates as a leader on and off the field," said Silva of her junior goalie. "As a captain and starting goalkeeper, she has become the backbone of our defense, and one of our best communicators."

Season Opener
The 2018 season begins on Friday, August 31, when the Monarchs of King's (Pa.) visit the Soaring Eagles for a 5:00 p.m. non-league matchup at the Murray Athletic Center. In 2017, King's went 8-10 overall and 3-4 in MAC Freedom play but remained competitive with five off losses that were decided by a one-goal margin.

Like Elmira, the Monarchs graduated a handful of experienced seniors, but do return their leading point scorer, Kelsey Gabriele. The All-MAC Freedom First Teamer posted 13 goals and five assists for a team-best 31 points.

"They'll be playing on our home field, which will be an advantage for us," Silva said. "I think it will be a nice way to start the season on a fresh page. Hopefully, we'll be able to set a positive momentum early on."